Guildhall Library Events SepDec 2015

GUILDHALL EVENTS

LIBRARY AND EXHIBITIONS The Library of London History

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 LONDON’S SAILORTOWN, 1600-1800 Tuesday 1 September

GLAD TIDINGS: A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS CARD Tuesday 24 November

Guildhall Library Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7HH 020 7332 1868 / 020 7332 1870 guildhall.library@cityoflondon.gov.uk www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhalllibrary Follow

ALL EVENTS REQUIRE BOOKING AND TAKE PLACE AT GUILDHALL LIBRARY. EVENTS ARE FREE UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. DETAILS OF HOW TO BOOK CAN BE FOUND ON THE BACK PAGE

EVENTS

TOTALLY THAMES Tuesday 1 September, 2-3pm

LONDON’S SAILORTOWN, 1600-1800

This talk by Derek Morris focuses on the wide range of merchants and mariners active in the 18th century on the north bank of the Thames in the parishes of Shadwell and Wapping, and the now-forgotten hamlet of Ratcliff. These men, with the support of their wives and partners, can now be seen as a vibrant community essential to the servicing of both London’s residents and the Merchant and Royal Navies, plus international trading connections to Africa, India, China and the West Indies.

Celebrate one of the world’s most famous rivers with a month long festival packed with exciting arts, cultural and river events.

Throughout the month of September, Totally Thames will take over the iconic 42-mile stretch and bring to life what is celebrated as the lifeblood of the City.

A brilliant programme of events in the City will immerse visitors in the sites and tales of the Thames with a range of guided tours, informative talks and interesting workshops.

Stop by Guildhall Library during your lunch-break to hear an interesting half-hour talk on a range of topics happening every other day throughout September.

All talks 1-1.30pm, £5

For further details and bookings on these events plus a range of walking tours and workshops happening in the City throughout September visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/totallythames

Wednesday 16 September

Why do they call it a float?

Wednesday 2 September

Bishops, Brothels and Bowler Hats

Learn about the fascinating history of Southwark

Friday 4 September

Learn about the best-known event on the City’s calendar: The Lord Mayor’s Show

Wednesday 23 September

The Port of London and the Thames during WWI

Death and Legend on the Thames

Imagine the invasions, blackouts, searchlights, and air raids as total war comes to London for the first time

Wednesday 9 September

Friday 25 September

Uncover the dark and curious history of the capital’s main river

Message November 1982 “Flood defences of London now secure”

Learn how the Thames was once a threat to the City’s survival

Friday 11 September

Now we are five

Hear about 2,000 years of river crossings and countless intriguing discoveries

Fireboats of the Blitz

Hear about the heroic men who kept London supplied with water from the Thames

Wednesday 30 September

Through Artists’ Eyes

Witness the many artistic interpretations of the Thames’ history; from the historic through to the modern

SHIPPING, SHIPWRECKS AND MASTERS OF THE MERCHANT NAVY: THE LLOYD’S MARINE COLLECTION

The Lloyd’s Marine Collection is an historic maritime collection, which came to Guildhall Library in May 1979, from Lloyd’s of London. It offers research resources for study of the Merchant Navy covering 1741 – present and includes ships’ details, shipping movements and casualties.

Jeanie Smith of Guildhall Library will take you through the resources in this important maritime collection and speak about the many ways in which it is used by family and maritime historians.

© Spitafields Life Blog

EVENTS

TOTALLY THAMES WORKSHOP Thursday 10 September, 2-3pm

Tuesday 15 September, 6-8pm

HUGUENOT SOCIETY AND SETTLEMENT AROUND LONDON IN THE LATE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

Hard hit 350 years ago by Plague and then by the Great Fire, Huguenot settlement in and around London did not collapse but blossomed as successive waves of refugees arrived in the 1680s. This talk by Robin Gwynn looks at where they went and why the different French communities in London varied greatly in their nature.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

‘Illustrated London News’ Saturday 15th May 1915.

This publication covered the loss of the RMS Lusitania

Thursday 17 September, 2-3pm

TOTALLY THAMES Thursday 17 September, 6-8pm

Join Christopher Lloyd on an epic ride through 800 years in the fight for freedoms and liberties from the sealing of Magna Carta by King John in 1215 to the present day. Using a giant 8m-long timeline, specially commissioned by the Magna Carta Trust’s 800th Committee, and a coat of many pockets containing key objects that serve as mnemonics, Christopher will stop off at 10 key moments in the last 800 years showing how today’s ideas of freedom and liberty have evolved through time.

The rivers Fleet and Walbrook both have fascinating pasts and have played important roles in the development of London. The talk will trace the routes and provide historic background to these two lost rivers. It will also examine which of the two can best claim to be London’s second river.

MAGNA CARTA AND THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

Morning session for school groups available. Bookings contact: ghlevents@cityoflondon.gov.uk

LONDON’S SECOND RIVER: THE FLEET OR WALBROOK?

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

TOTALLY THAMES WALK Saturday 19 September, 11am-1pm

THE CITY’S BRIDGES

This walk by Pete Smith takes in all the City’s Bridges before ending close to St Paul’s Cathedral. Along the way, you will hear about the bridge that sprouted heads, the elephant that walked across the Thames, a daredevil pilot and a quick-witted bus-driver.

Meet inside All Hallows by the Tower. £8 per person, no booking required (pay on the day)

© Pete Smith

© WhatOnEarthBooks

Saturday 19 September, from 8pm

MAGNA CARTA SON ET LUMIERE

EVENTS

Saturday 19 September, 2-3pm

MAGNA CARTA AND THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

See September 17 entry for details.

Christopher Lloyd will also be engaging with visitors as part of Open House, 10am-4pm

Saturday 19 September, 10am-4pm

OPEN HOUSE

Guildhall Library is delighted to be participating in Open House again this year. Drop by to see displays featuring London history or join a behind-the-scenes tour, running on the hour 10am – 3.00pm.

It is 800 years since the sealing of the Magna Carta. Guildhall Library is marking the anniversary by lighting up the City of London Guildhall with a Son et Lumiere. Working with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, we have produced a composition of music and light inspired by the stories behind the charter, material in City’s libraries and archives, and the Magna Carta itself. The Son et Lumiere will be projected onto the Gothic architectural façade of the Guildhall.

Guildhall Yard, Gresham Street, EC2V 5AE. No tickets, free, just turn up.

“Monster Soup”

Wednesday 23 September, 2-3pm

TOTALLY THAMES Thursday 24 September, 6-8pm

What exactly happened at Runnymede on 15 June 1215?

What did Magna Carta mean to the thirteenth-century people? As a failed peace treaty, why wasn’t it consigned to the dustbin of history? Was it really so special? This talk by Dorota Pomorska-Dawid, which focuses on the thirteenth-century context and history of Magna Carta, answers these and many other questions about the famous document.

London in the mid-nineteenth century was a place ridden by disease and squalor. Joseph Bazalgette and his engineering feats are accredited with cleaning up the city. Even though, 15 years before the Embankment was constructed, engineers made a huge impact on the public health of London and saved countless lives, by supplying the Metropolis with clean water. Howard Benge, Guildhall Library, will talk about how London made the journey from cholera to clean water.

MAGNA CARTA: BEYOND THE GOLDEN PASSAGE

WORKSHOP Thursday 24 September, 2-3pm

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH DISCOVERY SEARCHING

City of London Libraries have recently launched a discovery search, which means you can now use one search for all our print and e-resources. This workshop helps you get the most out of this tool.

FROM CHOLERA TO CLEAN WATER

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

1 October – 19 November 2015, 2-4pm

TRACING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY: A BEGINNER’S COURSE

EVENTS

This eight week course is aimed at people new to family history. Using the vast amount of original material held at Guildhall Library, we will cover a wide range of genealogical sources, enabling beginners to feel confident about starting their own family history. Practical sessions will be included during the course, and participants will be provided with full access to the Library’s online resources, including Ancestry, Find My Past, and the digitised collections of newspapers.

Tuesday 29 September, 2-3.30pm

THE HISTORY AND TREASURES OF GUILDHALL LIBRARY

Join our librarians to learn about the history of Guildhall Library, tour the building (including behind the scenes!) and view some of the library’s treasures.

£80. For more information and to register for the course contact: guildhall.library@cityoflondon. gov.uk or telephone 020 7332 1870/1868.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP Saturday 3 October, 10am-4.30pm

AUTUMN IN THE CITY

Work with Guildhall Library artist-in-residence Simon Gregor to develop your photography skills, and then put them to good use capturing images of autumn in the City.

The morning session will be classroom-based, learning some basic photography skills; in the afternoon, head out on a guided photography walk around the City of London.

Aimed at beginners in photography, you do not need an expensive camera – even a basic camera phone will do!

£50 per person, booking essential

© Simon Gregor

© Chris West

Tuesday 6 October, 2-3pm

TODAY’S TREASURES AT ST KATHARINE DOCKS

Telford’s Bridge, his Dock Master’s house, original Tuscan columns, sculptures by Paula Haughney, (recalling the Telford Docks period when luxury items such as ivory, turtle shells, herbs, spices and exotic feathers were traded), Wendy Taylor’s famous Timepiece, Sir Peter Drew’s Elephants, Gloriana, Havengore, Edith Piaf’s love boat and various other treasures on display at St Katharine Docks. Join Chris West to learn more.

Tuesday 20 October, 2-3pm © Katherine Shock

TRACKING SHERLOCK HOLMES THROUGH LONDON Thursday 15 October, 6-8pm

THAT MIGHTY HEART: VISIONS OF LONDON

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

© Tim Kidd

John Elinger, an award-winning poet, and Katherine Shock, painter and illustrator, will talk about their new book, ‘That Mighty Heart, Visions of London’, an illustrated poetic guide to the city, arranged to provide a series of walks around and across London, including outlying places of note. The talk will comprise an account of the making of the book, the experiences of the painter, a reading of some of the poems, and an opportunity for questions to the authors.

Blue Badge guide Tim Kidd gives an illustrated talk of places allegedly frequented by Holmes. You are invited to weigh the evidence carefully before reaching your own conclusions.

EVENTS

Wednesday 21 October, 10am-6.30pm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUILDHALL LIBRARY

On the 21st October 1974 the present Guildhall Library opened in the West Wing of Guildhall (the first Guildhall Library opened around 1425). Come along to our annual celebration, learn more about our collections and how we care for our books, or take a behind the scenes tour.

10am Workshop: Care of Guildhall Library Books workshop with Assistant Librarian Jo Wisdom

11am Behind the Scenes Tour: With Principal Services Assistant Alan Day

2pm Talk: The Historical Collections of Guildhall Library with Principal Librarian Dr Peter Ross

3.15-4.15pm Display: Guildhall Library reading room, October 1974

A closer look at some gems from our collections with Assistant Librarian Jeanie Smith

5.30pm Behind the Scenes Tour: With Principal Services Assistant Alan Day

Tuesday 27 October, 6-8pm

LIFE, DEATH AND DYSENTERY: HENRY V AND THE SYON ABBEY HERBAL SPECIAL EVENT

© Talbot House

Thursday 22 October, 6-8pm

TALBOT HOUSE – A HAVEN FROM THE HELL OF THE TRENCHES: LATE VIEW AND LAUNCH

Talbot House was a club for soldiers of all ranks, run with boisterous good humour by a remarkable chaplain, the Rev Philip (‘Tubby’) Clayton. Ken PrideauxBrune, President of the Friends of Talbot House, will tell the story of this remarkable place, which has been preserved very much as it was in World War 1 and celebrates its centenary this December.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine and canapés reception. Includes viewing of the exhibition.

Tuesday 27 October, 2-3pm

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

This session is aimed at people who would like to learn about our biographical, family history and London digital resources. The workshop will look at digitised newspapers, Ancestry.co.uk, Find My Past, the Dictionary of National Biography and the City of London’s image database COLLAGE.

Tacuinum Sanitatis, AD 1400.

‘There are pomegranates at Syon’ William Turner 1549

In February 1415 Henry V founded a Swedish Bridgettine Abbey to the west of London. St Bridget of Sweden had said that England had the better claim to the crown of France, and Henry invested around £500,000 in his spiritual venture. Within a short time he was both Regent of France, and about to marry Catherine de Valois. Henry died in 1422, probably of dysentery, before he could be crowned king of France. This talk by John Adams looks at the Herbal compiled in Syon Abbey, and the causes of illness and death in the Middle Ages.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

A NOBLE WAR?

EVENTS

Sir Anthony Eden is best known for his lion-hearted leadership alongside Winston Churchill during the Second World War, but long before his finest hour, Eden fought his first battles in the trenches during the First World War. Examining recently re-discovered letters to his sister Marjorie Warwick, this talk

by Aaron Manning from Warwick Castle re-assesses the concept of aristocratic noble war and explores how Eden and his family dealt with the horrors of the front line.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

Wednesday 28 October, 2-3pm

HAUNTED LONDON

This talk by Pete Smith deals with some of the City’s top spooks, plus a few more from all over London. An accompanying walk, “Blood, Fire and Pestilence”, on 31st October, will take you through the creepiest of the streets and alleyways around the Tower to encounter bloodshed, fire and pestilence.

Thursday 29 October, 2-3.30pm

THE HISTORY AND TREASURES OF GUILDHALL LIBRARY

Join our librarians to learn about the history of Guildhall Library, tour the building (including behind the scenes!) and view some of the library’s treasures.

Captain Anthony Eden (future Prime Minister of United Kingdom) c.1923

SPECIAL EVENT

Thursday 29 October, 6-8pm

WALK 31 October 6.30pm-8.30pm

BLOOD, FIRE AND PESTILENCE

This Hallowe’en walk with Pete Smith, starting from the fringes of the area devastated by the Great Fire, takes in the church of St Ghastly Grim, a plague pit, a multiple axe-killing and the site of the only Jack the Ripper murder to occur in the City.

£8 per person, no booking required (pay on the day). Meet outside All Hallows by the Tower, Byward Street.

Tuesday 3 November, 2-3pm

TO MAKE NOBLER AND MORE HUMANLY ENJOYABLE THE LIFE OF THE GREAT CITY: THE WORK OF THE SURVEY OF LONDON, 1894 TO 2015

The Survey of London is the leading reference work on the history of the capital and its buildings. Founded in 1894 by the Arts and Crafts architect and reformer C. R. Ashbee, it has evolved into a detailed and extensively illustrated area-by-area chronicle of urban development.

Join Peter Guillery to learn more.

THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER, 6-8PM

MAIL OBSESSION

EVENTS

Thursday 5 November, 6-8pm

NEVER ON A SUNDAY

Everyone knows churches are open on Sundays. But, how it is that the doors of the City churches are open on weekdays for all visitors?

Who led the charge to prevent their mass closure? And just what is a “watcher”? Join the Friends of City Churches on their 20th anniversary to discover how they rode to the churches’ defence to save these architectural, historical and cultural treasures and what they do behind the scenes in the churches to preserve 800+ years of living history for the future.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

Thursday 12 November, 2-3pm

FIVE YEARS TO DOCKYARD APPRENTICE

Len Taphouse served an apprenticeship as an engineer with Harland & Wolff, at North Woolwich, between 1956 and 1961. He relates the wild goose chases, the hardships endured, as well as the highlights.

He tells of the characters in the docks and some of the associated stories about them. A repeat of last year’s talk.

Tuesday 17 November, 2-3pm

A DREADFUL VISITATION: THE GREAT PLAGUE

This illustrated afternoon talk

by Pete Smith tells the story of the Great Plague that swept London in 1665, drawing on the resources of Guildhall Library. It is followed at 3.15 by a walk from Cheapside to Smithfield entitled “Hangings, Burnings and Hauntings”.

© Mark Mason

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

‘Walk the Lines’ author Mark Mason talks about his travels round Britain for his new book Mail Obsession, in which he collected a fact from each of the UK’s 124 postcode areas, all the way from AB to ZE. Along the way he discovered what the Queen keeps in her handbag and why the Jack Russell has a white coat. He visited the Harrogate hotel where Agatha Christie hid for eleven days and a bungalow in Kent that can’t get a mobile phone signal because of the Second World War. The book paints an affectionate portrait of Britain in the 21st century, from aggressive seagulls in Blackpool to ‘seasoned’ drinkers in Surrey.

WALK 17 November 3.15pm – 5.15pm

HANGINGS, BURNINGS AND HAUNTINGS

This sinister walk follows a grim and bloodstained route. On your way you may encounter two ghostly murderesses and the loathsome Black Dog of Newgate. You will certainly discover the City’s most haunted pub, a street where doctors and grave robbers traded in dead bodies and a place notorious for hangings, burnings and torture.

Tuesday 24 November, 2-3.30pm

THE HISTORY AND TREASURES OF GUILDHALL LIBRARY

Join our librarians to learn about the history of Guildhall Library, tour the building (including behind the scenes!) and view some of the library’s treasures.

£8 per person, no booking required (pay on the day). Meet in Guildhall Yard.

WORKSHOP Thursday 19 November, 2-3pm

GETTING TO GRIPS WITH DISCOVERY SEARCHING

City of London Libraries have recently launched a discovery search, which means you can now use one search for all our print and e-resources. This workshop helps you get the most out of this tool.

Tuesday 24 November, 6-8pm

Christmas Card (1850s/60s) published by Joseph Mansell of Red Lion Sq., London (Private Collection)

GLAD TIDINGS: A HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS CARD

In this fascinating talk by Steph Mastoris, he will discuss how very recent research suggests that the first published Christmas cards were produced some years before the famous one commissioned by Henry Cole in 1843; how changes in printing technology helped create the bright and attractive card we know today and how digital media is now posing a challenge to the traditional card, as well as what classic images on cards tell us about the changing ways in which we have celebrated this festival.

£5 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception.

The hop barn in Talbot House was converted into a theatre during the First World War. Performances were put on there to give a little light relief to those who were about to travel to or had just returned from the front line, only a few miles away. This is a one-off performance, created by the Happy Hoppers to reflect what was once put on for the troops.

EVENTS

ÂŁ10 plus booking fee. Includes a wine reception. Free gift offer to anyone in authentic First World War military costume.

Tuesday 1 December, 2-3pm

THE 1915 CREW LIST PROJECT

The official records of men and women employed on Britishregistered merchant vessels in 1915 have recently been indexed by a team of volunteers. It is now possible to search online approximately 39,000 crew lists from 1915 held by the National Maritime Museum and The National Archives. This talk by Graham Thompson will look at the significance of these records and some of the stories that were uncovered during the project.

Š Talbot House

THE HAPPY HOPPERS SHOW

SPECIAL EVENT

Thursday 26 November,6-8pm

© Simon Gregor

BATTLEFIELD PILGRIMAGE: AN EARLY HISTORY

View of Watermen’s & Lightermen’s Hall Thursday 3 December, 2-3pm

THAMES LIGHTERMEN

Barbara Thomas explains how the Watermen’s & Lightermen’s records at the Guildhall Library helped her find out more about her lightermen ancestors. Alun Thomas briefly recounts the history of the trade.

SPECIAL EVENT

Wednesday 9 December, 2-3pm

After the First World War was over, veterans and others started to return to the battlefields, on what became known as “pilgrimages”. But what form did these pilgrimages take, and how did they build on or modify the experiences of the men who fought, and who frequented places like Talbot House during the war?

Simon Gregor will share some of the fascinating stories of visitors to the battlefield from the period 1914-1929, and consider how this may have shaped battlefield tourism today.

Timber Wharf and dust Shoot

© Chris West

Wednesday 17 December, 2-3.30pm

THE HISTORY AND TREASURES OF GUILDHALL LIBRARY

EVENTS

Thursday 10 December, 2-3pm

CHARLES DICKENS AND HIS CHRISTMAS

Charles Dickens greatly influenced the traditional Christmas as we know it today, with Pickwick Papers describing a jolly Christmas gathering, and later with the international classic ‘A Christmas Carol’. Four more Christmas stories followed, important for their Dickensian message about the need for Christian values and concern for the poor. Join Chris West to learn more.

Tuesday 15 December, 2-3pm

CURIOUS AND CURIOUSER What tower block is dogged by a fifteenth-century curse? Where can you find a statue with a private income or one that was carved in prison? Which pub has a pawnbroker’s licence? Who shot a ghost? Join Pete Smith to find the answers to these and other questions concerning the oddest corners of a curious city.

Join our librarians to learn about the history of Guildhall Library, tour the building (including behind the scenes!) and view some of the library’s treasures.

Monday 22 December, 2-3pm

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

This session is aimed at people who would like to learn about our biographical, family history and London digital resources. The workshop will look at digitised newspapers, Ancestry.co.uk, Find My Past, the Dictionary of National Biography and the City of London’s image database COLLAGE.

© Talbot House

EXHIBITIONS

Thursday 17 September – 25 September

MAGNA CARTA

The Guildhall Librarians have looked into the collections and found an eclectic variety of books relating to the Magna Carta. These include an early translation into English, items

by Wilkes and Left-Handed Liberty, a play by John Arden commissioned by the city of London for the 1965 celebrations of Magna Carta.

A selection of these finds will be on display accompanied by the timeline produced by What on Earth Books, which makes connections between the Magna Carta and British history.

12 October – 8 January

TALBOT HOUSE: ‘AN OASIS IN A WORLD GONE CRAZY’

In 1915 army chaplain Philip ‘Tubby’ Clayton established the Everyman’s Club at Talbot House in the small town of Poperinge, only a few miles from the front line in Ypres. In this house rank was irrelevant, orders were prohibited, and all soldiers were encouraged to forget about the war.

This exhibition tracks the story of Tubby and this ‘oasis’ for soldiers during the First World War. It will include items from Talbot House, the memoirs of Tubby and the actual hut in which he wrote them after fleeing the Germans.

GUILDHALL EVENTS

LIBRARY AND EXHIBITIONS The Library of London History

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2015

Guildhall Library opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am-5pm Wednesday 9.30am-7.30pm Alternate Saturdays 9.30am-5pm Please check our website for more details The library is closed on Bank Holiday weekends.

Please note exhibitions are inaccessible during afternoon talks.

Front cover main image “Miseries of London” © City of London All images © City of London unless indicated

ALL EVENTS REQUIRE BOOKING AND TAKE PLACE AT GUILDHALL LIBRARY. PLEASE BOOK THROUGH EVENTBRITE: WWW.GHLEVENTS.EVENTBRITE.CO.UK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES REGARDING BOOKING PLEASE CONTACT: GHLEVENTS@CITYOFLONDON.GOV.UK OR 020 7332 1869/1871 Guildhall Library Aldermanbury, London EC2V 7HH 020 7332 1868 / 020 7332 1870 guildhall.library@cityoflondon.gov.uk www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhalllibrary

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